Flashlight combination construction



Nov. 8, 1938. N.'H. swANsoN FLASHLIGHT COMBINATION CONSTRUCTION Filed July 20,v 1956 GZ wfao/a y y M3 asjzfrzze s.

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics FLASHLIGHT COMBINATION CONSTRUCTION 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a portable flashlight as designed for combination with another article,-a folding leather key case being shown in this relation herein. One object of the invention 5 is to provide an inexpensive metallic barrel or shell'for the flashlight battery and lens; another object is to provide this shell with convenient means for attachment to the article with which it is combined; /another object is to provide i switching means for connecting and disconnecting the lamp from the battery. The invention consists in certain features and elements of construction in combination as herein shown and de-l scribed and as indicated by the claims.

l In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a flashlight and key case combined in accordance lwith this invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially as indicated at line 27-2 on Figure l.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken as indicated at line 3-3 on Figure 2, and showing the lamp and battery disconnected.

Figure i is a similar longitudinal section showing the lamp connected to the battery by the endwise shifting of the latter in the case.

Figure 5 is also a longitudinal section showing the lamp connected to the battery by' longitudinal adjustment of the lamp in the case.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing a spring disk serving to seat the-battery'in the case.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail section showing an alternative form of seat for the battery.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the alternative seating means.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail section showing an alternative means for securing a decorative color effect.

For purposes of illustration the portable flashlight which is the subject of this invention is shown combined with a familiar type of folding leather key case, but it lmay be understood that the flashlight might be attached to other articles lwith which` it might be conveniently used. The flashlight shell or barrel, I, is composed of sheet metal bent into cylindrical -form and having a 'pair of terminal flanges, 2 Iand 3, brought face to face in the formation of the cylindrical shell, I, and extending longitudinally thereof and radi.- 5 0 ally outward therefrom, thus providing a lug to which the key case, 4, may be attached. This case is composed of a piece of flexible sheet material, such as leather or imitation leather, folded upon itself at 5, thus forming twoleaves, 6 and 1, 66 between which two or three keys may be secured by a telescoping screw fastener, t, which is shown partly loosened in Figure 1 so as to permit of opening out the structure for purposes of illus1 tration. One key is indicated at t between the leaves, 6 and l, and the other key, l0, is shown 5 swung around the pivotal screw fastener, t, to project from the case in a position for use. As shown, the leaf, t, of the key case is attached to the connected anges, 2 and 3, of the nashlight shell, l, by means of rivets, il, and a snap 10 fastener button, i2, is secured in the leaf, l, for engagement with a cooperating stud, i3, which may be fixed in the anges, 2, 3, as best seen in Figure 2. Thus when the keys are folded between the leaves, t and l, the snap fastener holds the L key case in compact form. The flanges, 2 and 3, support the stud, it, of the snap fastener at about the middle oftheir length, and their end portions are made considerably narrower than ythis middle portion; at the end adjacent the 2 pivot, 8, which carries ythe keys, this narrowing of the flanges, 2 and 3, affords clearance for the bows of the keys, and, preferably, the outline of the flanges is curved concavely toward the pivot, 8, thus approximating the curved outline of the average key bow. f 4

The standard type of dry cell `of cylindrical form is shown at iii, fitting inothefcylindrical casing, I, with sufficient snugness to ensure an electrical contact between the cuter metallic surface of the battery, i t, and the inner surface of the casing, l, but loosely enough so that it is slidable longitudinally in the casing. The center contact, It, of the battery is thus disposed` axially within the casing, l', in line with the center con- 35 tact, I6, of the lamp, il, whosev threaded base," it, is screwed into a coil spring, i ll, which thus serves as a socket for the lamp. At one end of the spring the coils are spirally expanded so that the final coil, i9, nts snugly in the cylindrical casing, I, and thus makes contact therewith for completing the circuit through the battery and lamp k when the center points, It and It, are brought into contact. I The lamp, Il, may be of any conventional type, 45 but, as shown, it is formed with a glass body portion,20, which is somewhat smaller than the base, I8, and which has a tip, 2|, which is thickenedto act as a lens for concentrating the light forwardf ly, so that the lamp acts as a. spotlight or searchlight. For retaining the lamp and its mounting spring, I9, in position in the end of the cylindrical casing, I, the. latter is formed with a pressed thread, 22, and a retaining hood, 23, having a threaded stem or base, 24, is-screwed into the end of the casing, I, engaging thethread. 22. This hood is formed with a central aperture, 25, registering with the lens portion, 2|, of the lamp bulb, I1, and slightly overhanging the same so as to provide a shoulder reacting against the pressure of the spring, Il. Normally. this hood, 22, will not be screwed in far enough to bring the center points, Il and I6, into contact; but it may be employed as a switching device to`produce this contact. Figure 5 shows the hood,I 23, thus screwed inwardly to carry the points, I5 and I I, into contact by slightly compressing the mounting spring, I9. Since the lamps, I1, and sometimes the batteries, Il, vary slightly in length, it is desirable to protect the lamp against undue compression in this operation, and for this purpose I provide a cushion member at the outer end of the battery disposed between the end wall of the battery and the annular end-flange, 26, of the casing, I. 'I'his cushion may be in the form of a disk, as shown in Figure 6, having two dimetrically opposite segments, 21, of its periphery bent to bear against the end wall of the battery, I4, and being formed with a centrally onset area, 2l, which normallyprotrudes through the end opening in the casing inside the annular ilange, 26. Two other portions, 29, of the periphery of the disk are engaged under the ilange, 2l, which thus retains the disk within the casing. If the lamp, I1, or the battery, I4, is slightly inl excess of the standard length the disk will be somewhat flattened when the hood, 23, is screwed into the end of the casing, I, to its limit, but the resiliency o f the cushion disk will avoid injury to the lamp. This eifect is indicated in Figure 5.

If, instead of a steady glow of light, the user desires to produce only a momentary ilash, hemay slide the battery, I4, endwise in the casing, I, by pressure of the finger, upon-the upraised portion, 28, of thecushion disk thus shifting the disk inwardly and carrying the battery, I4, far enough. to eifect contact between its central terminal, I5, and the center contact, It, of the lamp, as shown in Figure 4. 'Ihis slightly compresses the spring,

I9, so that upon release of the nger pressure at 28 the parts will be shifted back to their normal position by said spring, I9.

For ornamental eifect I prefer to make the hood, 2 2, of some colored translucent material, such as Pyrolin, Catalin, cr other synthetic,

plastic material, and, of course. if desired, this element could be made of molded glass. Without at all decreasing the emciency of the lamp, I1, this colored hoodrgives a very pleasing appearance to the article, whether the lamp is lighted or not. And for further ornamental eiect I may have the lamp made with an annular band of color, applied either inside the lens element, 2i, as indicated at 2li, or applied outside the lamp as a coating of color or as an inserted ring of transparent, colored material, as seen in Figure 9, at SI, so that the circle of light which is projectaisance ed through the lens, 2l, is given a margin of color, adding interest and beauty to the eifect.

As an alternativeconstruction in place ci the cushion disk with the upraised center as shown at 2l in Figures 3, 4 and 5, I may employ apupped disk. 22, which is illustrated in Figures '7 and 8, and which has a central circular area dimensioned to protrude through the annular flange, 2l, of the casing, I, while an offset peripheral flange, 32, is stopped against the inner surface of said flange, 2l. A spirally coiled spring, 34,

is seated in the recess formed on the inner side of the central circular portion of the member, 32, and bears against the end of the battery, I4, as clearly seen in Figure 7. 'Ihis provides a readily accessible finger-piece or button for shifting the battery. Il, endwis'e in the casing when desired; and, of course, the spring, 3l, furnishes sufilclent cushion to take up any irregularities in the length of the battery or the lamp when the hood, 23, is

screwed inwardly to its limit.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modicaticns and re-arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit andthe scope of the invention, and that;k

the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as `indicated by the appended claims.

1. In combination, an article-receiving cylindrical shell of relatively thin and relatively rigid material having a hard external surface and formed from a blank with ilanges at the opposite ends of said blank disposed face to face, and a sheath of exible sheet material folded approximately at the middle, together with meanspermanently securing said ilanges together and securing one end of said folded sheath to said flanges, and a fastener comprising one part anchored to the iianges and a cooperating'part carried by the other end of the sheath for dischgageably securing it. l

2. In combination, an article-receiving cylindrical shell of relatively thin and relatively rigid material formed with an external, longitudinally extending. radially projecting flange, and a sheath of flexible sheet material molded approximately at the middle with means permanently securing one end of said sheath to the flange, a pivotal member engaging both folds of the sheath near one end for securing a key or keys therein. and a fastenerfor the sheath comprising one member secured permanently to the ilange approximately at the middle of 'its length, and another member secured in the free end of the sheath, the end portion of the flange adjacent the pivotal member being narrower than the middle portion which supports the fastener, and being concavely curved toward said pivot to afford clearance for the bow of a key carried thereon.

' NELS H.' SWANSON. 

